Walleye Capital LLC Makes New $905,000 Investment in The Ensign Group, Inc. $ENSG

Key Points

• Walleye Capital LLC has made a new investment in The Ensign Group, purchasing approximately 6,991 shares worth about $905,000.
• The Ensign Group reported a net margin of 6.99% and a 1-year revenue increase of 18.5%, surpassing analysts' earnings estimates with earnings of $1.59 per share.
• Despite solid financial performance, The Ensign Group announced a cut in its quarterly dividend, declaring a modest dividend of $0.0625 per share.

Walleye Capital LLC purchased a new position in shares of The Ensign Group, Inc. (NASDAQ:ENSG - Free Report) during the first quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The firm purchased 6,991 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $905,000.

A number of other hedge funds and other institutional investors also recently made changes to their positions in the company. Northern Trust Corp boosted its position in shares of The Ensign Group by 0.4% during the first quarter. Northern Trust Corp now owns 941,274 shares of the company's stock worth $121,801,000 after purchasing an additional 3,344 shares in the last quarter. Van Berkom & Associates Inc. boosted its position in shares of The Ensign Group by 14.1% during the first quarter. Van Berkom & Associates Inc. now owns 800,108 shares of the company's stock worth $103,534,000 after purchasing an additional 99,147 shares in the last quarter. Wellington Management Group LLP boosted its position in shares of The Ensign Group by 17.6% during the first quarter. Wellington Management Group LLP now owns 683,650 shares of the company's stock worth $88,464,000 after purchasing an additional 102,089 shares in the last quarter. American Century Companies Inc. boosted its position in shares of The Ensign Group by 1,235.5% during the first quarter. American Century Companies Inc. now owns 468,575 shares of the company's stock worth $60,634,000 after purchasing an additional 433,489 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Clark Capital Management Group Inc. boosted its position in shares of The Ensign Group by 4.5% during the fourth quarter. Clark Capital Management Group Inc. now owns 461,353 shares of the company's stock worth $61,295,000 after purchasing an additional 19,821 shares in the last quarter. 96.12% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

The Ensign Group Price Performance

Shares of NASDAQ ENSG opened at $171.78 on Friday. The firm has a market cap of $9.91 billion, a PE ratio of 31.18, a PEG ratio of 1.97 and a beta of 1.02. The company has a current ratio of 1.41, a quick ratio of 1.41 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.07. The Ensign Group, Inc. has a 1-year low of $118.73 and a 1-year high of $173.62. The company has a fifty day moving average price of $154.34 and a 200 day moving average price of $141.96.

The Ensign Group (NASDAQ:ENSG - Get Free Report) last announced its earnings results on Thursday, July 24th. The company reported $1.59 earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts' consensus estimates of $1.54 by $0.05. The firm had revenue of $1.23 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $1.22 billion. The Ensign Group had a net margin of 6.99% and a return on equity of 16.92%. The company's revenue for the quarter was up 18.5% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period in the prior year, the business earned $1.32 EPS. The Ensign Group has set its FY 2025 guidance at 6.340-6.460 EPS. Research analysts predict that The Ensign Group, Inc. will post 5.59 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

The Ensign Group Cuts Dividend

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Thursday, July 31st. Shareholders of record on Monday, June 30th were given a dividend of $0.0625 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Monday, June 30th. This represents a $0.25 annualized dividend and a yield of 0.1%. The Ensign Group's payout ratio is 4.54%.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other The Ensign Group news, Director Barry M. Smith sold 700 shares of the business's stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, July 1st. The shares were sold at an average price of $153.48, for a total transaction of $107,436.00. Following the sale, the director directly owned 27,852 shares of the company's stock, valued at $4,274,724.96. The trade was a 2.45% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available through this link. Also, VP Beverly B. Wittekind sold 4,719 shares of the business's stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, June 18th. The stock was sold at an average price of $155.00, for a total transaction of $731,445.00. Following the sale, the vice president directly owned 38,679 shares in the company, valued at $5,995,245. This trade represents a 10.87% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders have sold 13,798 shares of company stock valued at $2,080,733 in the last three months. 3.90% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of equities analysts have recently weighed in on ENSG shares. Truist Financial lifted their price target on shares of The Ensign Group from $155.00 to $165.00 and gave the stock a "hold" rating in a research report on Monday, July 28th. UBS Group reissued a "buy" rating and set a $195.00 price target (up from $185.00) on shares of The Ensign Group in a research report on Thursday, August 14th. Finally, Stephens lifted their price target on shares of The Ensign Group from $165.00 to $170.00 and gave the stock an "overweight" rating in a research report on Monday, July 28th. Five equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and one has issued a Hold rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat, The Ensign Group currently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus price target of $171.00.

About The Ensign Group

The Ensign Group, Inc provides skilled nursing, senior living, and rehabilitative services. It operates through two segments: Skilled Services and Standard Bearer. The company's Skilled Services segment engages in the operation of skilled nursing facilities and rehabilitation therapy services for patients with chronic conditions, prolonged illness, and the elderly; and offers nursing facilities including specialty care, such as on-site dialysis, ventilator care, cardiac, and pulmonary management, as well as standard services comprising room and board, special nutritional programs, social services, recreational activities, entertainment, and other services.

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